


Live it like it's now or never

by Vargynja



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:20:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26715901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vargynja/pseuds/Vargynja
Summary: Reggie's life from childhood to death and beyond.
Relationships: Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 188





	1. Life

**April 1990**

Being 12 sucked, Reggie learned quickly. Not only did the fighting that had been there for as long as he remembered keep getting worse but now they moved to a new area where he didn’t know anyone. His dad got a promotion and wanted to live closer to his office so against Reggie and his moms pleading the house was put on sale and he had found a house in a new area which meant a new school for him.

He ignored the fact that he didn’t have any friends to leave behind. 

It was a lot harder to ignore when he heard it to his room, his dad yelling at his mom who didn’t want to move and was using Reggie as an argument.

“Don’t you care about your son at all! He’s struggling with school as it is, now he’s going to lose his friends too.”

“What friends, he doesn’t have any. If anything this is a chance to start over!” 

The words stung and he gripped his bass tighter. He couldn’t really play here when they were fighting or all the shouting would be directed to him but it was still comforting. Humming a melody to a country song he’d heard from the radio earlier Reggie closed his eyes, softly picking at the cords. A chance to start over. Maybe in a new place things would be different. The teachers wouldn’t look so disappointed when he couldn’t focus on the lessons. He could get friends. His parent’s would get finally get along. He could feel wanted and not just the weird kid or the reason his parents keep fighting. 

**October 1990**

Reggie was starting to like the new place. The house wasn't big but there was plenty of space for the three of them, he got his own room upstairs and after covering the walls with posters it started to feel like home.

The house was by the sea and sometimes his dad would take him to the beach and they would throw a ball while his mom made dinner. In the evenings they would watch tv together and his mom would laugh at his jokes instead of telling him to stop fooling around. There hadn’t been complaints from the school even though Reggie knew he wasn’t doing very well. The new school wasn't bad but he still couldn't pay attention during lessons and he was barely passing math. He still didn't have friends but people weren't mean and it was better than his old school. The music teacher, Ms Cooper, lets him play during breaks, giving tips and makes sure he knows how to take care of his own bass. Music was his favorite subject anyway and he liked the way Ms Cooper would give him a stress ball during theory to help focus. 

His mom would drink wine most nights but she didn’t get drunk. She was nicer after a few glasses so Reggie didn’t complain. 

His dad did. 

The fight was a bad one, he could tell from the beginning. The Star Wars movie was still going when he quietly climbed upstairs when the words got nastier and louder. The sounds followed and when he reached to grab the bass he heard a glass shattering loudly, followed by an angry scream. 

“Fuck it”, he said to no one and put the instrument down. It felt good to curse so he did it again when he climbed out of the window and dropped down to the ground. Ignoring the muffled sound of his dad shouting the same word inside Reggie ran down to the beach, not caring that it was dark and technically he wasn't allowed to wander too far alone especially this late. The sound of waves relaxed him and he laid down to look at the stars, wandering around the mostly empty beach until it felt safe to go home. 

He starts coming here more and more. During a fight no one stops him when he slips out and walks to the beach, just looking at the water stretching far away. It was usually late so there were less people than during the day when kids would run around while the parents enjoyed the sun. 

Tonight he wasn’t alone. He recognized the kids from his school, a few from his grade and some he assumed were older. 

There was Annie. 

Annie had shaggy black hair that she probably had cut herself and a piercing on her lip. She wasn’t loud but there was something that made him forget words and stumble when she looked at him with the bright green eyes that looked more intense framed by thick black eyeliner. She was cool, just like the people around her now, sitting by a fire that definitely wasn’t allowed the exist here. Reggie stumbles and stops.

She was looking at him now, studying like they only met even though he’d sat next to her since school began. 

“Hey, you’re in my class, right?” She called out, making Reggie freeze and rest of the group to look at him too. 

“Umm, yeah.” Annie motioned him to come closer and Reggie sat down on the cool sand between her and a boy he knew but didn’t know the name of. His hands were sweaty and he started to play with the string of his hoodie, nervous around these people.

“I’m Annie” she smiles at him. 

“I know”, he says automatically and immediately regrets, “I mean hi. I’m Reggie.” Annie laughs but it’s not mean like some kids from his last school. The other kids introduce themselves and Reggie starts to relax as they continue chatting. Jack, the boy next to him pulls out a bottle and takes a sip. He coughs and makes a disgusted face, making the others laugh. 

“What’s that?” Reggie asks. Jack grins and offers the bottle. 

“Whiskey.” Reggie isn’t sure that he wants to drink but Jack is looking at him and the bottle is in his hand so without thinking he goes for it. 

It was awful. The alcohol burned his mouth and throat and he almost gagged. Annie took the bottle, her fingers brushing his and Reggie felt like the touch burned almost as much as the whiskey. The bottle makes a round and next time didn’t taste as terrible so he stayed for hours, talking until the fire went out and Holly started to fall asleep and they figured it was time to go home. The world spins around like a carousel, making Reggie laugh when he stands up to walk home. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow”, Annie whispers to his ear, warm breath tickling his ear. 

**December 1991**

Sharon sang when he played the banjo, Annie clapping on her thighs to give rhythm and some of the more drunken kids hummed of sang quietly along. It was cold but they were all laughing at the cheerful music that someone kept messing up. Reggie tapped on his instrument as he used one hand to drink from the cup that was shoved in his hand, almost spitting the content out. 

“What was that?” He shouted and Annie leaned against him, howling in laughter that he silences with a kiss. It’s still strange but the alcohol makes him loose. His parents will yell at him once he gets home but here he doesn’t care, just like the others avoid their problems. Someone always has a way to get drunk and they can all forget and stop thinking. He didn’t hang with them in school, mostly he was alone and they only met to drink here. He didn't drink much, just enough to feel the effect and be a part of the group. Few of his new friends would brag about drinking so much that they threw up but he didn't want to do that, especially when he knew how much trouble he'd be in his his parents caught him. 

“Who knows man, fucking gross.” Jack laughs. Reggie keeps playing, laying on the sand when he gets dizzy. That’s when he sees movement, two shadows walking by the water. He almost says something, warning the others that they need to run before someone catches them before he realizes he knows the kids. 

Luke. He sang last week and the other boy played drums. He thinks there was a third one but he can’t recall the face, he’d sat at the back and the assembly had been boring so at that point he’d been more focused on balancing on his chair without falling over. They were good though, he remembered that. He sees them looking, makes eye contact while still playing. Luke says something to the boy but Reggie feels a hand on his knee, Annie gets his attention and when he looks again they were gone. 

Christmas came and went, tension filling the house where they all acted like a happy little family with a perfect holiday. Reggie was impressed by how well they were keeping it together even when it was obvious none of them wanted to be there. It was almost a relief to get back to school. He was sitting alone eating lunch when another tray appears in front of him. Reggie grins at the boy sitting in front of him. 

“Do you play something other than banjo?” Luke asks. He’s intense, leaning forward. 

“Banjo is cool”, Reggie doesn’t answer the question but the dismissive tone when he says banjo. Luke is fun, he thinks. He seems a bit obsessive but for a few weeks Reggie had been looking and he likes how they act like a pack, Luke, Alex and Bobby. Always together. 

“It’s country. Rock is way cooler.” Luke replies. Reggie thinks country is pretty cool too but he loves rock too. 

“Bass. A little drums but nothing like Alex.” Luke smile is wide then, eyes shining and bright. _He's pretty_ , Reggie can't help the thought when Luke's smile makes him just a little breathless.

“Perfect! We need a bassist.” Reggie sees Annie across the room. Her pretty eyes look a lot like Luke’s when he’s staring at Reggie with the invitation hanging in the air between them. Luke has pretty eyes too, Reggie notes and instantly shoved that back down, trying to focus on Luke when he talks fast, explaining who plays what and how they want to make a real band.

He doesn’t know the boys. His parents wouldn’t approve him being in a band. 

“Okay. When do I start?” 

**July 1992**

Reggie was pretty sure that this band was the best thing to ever happen to him. Sunset Curve, his new love was just named and they had started to make their own stuff instead of covers they played at school. Bobby’s parents had a garage that they were making into a studio and things were good. Really good. 

The beginning hadn’t been perfect. One time he almost fell asleep in the middle of training because he’d been at the beach and he was probably still drunk. Alex had questioned why he was so tired and when Reggie told the truth Luke got mad. It wasn’t exactly a fight since Reggie refused to play along but Luke had made it clear. No drinking if he wanted to be in the band. Alex had shot him a pleading look and Bobby rolled his eyes behind Luke’s back. Reggie had picked up his bass and walked out without saying a word, leaving Luke to shout after him.

The next day he came back, wordless promise to put the band first. After that he stopped going out to the beach, stopped drinking. The guys welcomed him with a hug and exited shouting, even Luke grinning before pulling him to a hug. It was the right choice and he didn’t regret it even when Annie turned her head to avoid his eyes. 

The band was worth it all, even when he lost the way to escape his home.

He saw a picture frame flying inches away from his face, crashing on the wall and shattering. Reggie froze on the stairs, holding on to his bass tighter and looking at the photo of the three of them, smiling on the steps of this house. His mother was crying, cursing at his dad who didn’t listen. 

“You’re tearing this family apart!”

“Maybe if you wouldn’t run around with the whores at the office all day we could have a real family”, she hissed. Reggie didn’t know if they hadn’t noticed him or if they didn’t care. The words felt distant, drowned under the sound of his heart beating too fast. Was he having a heart attack? Was it even possible at his age, Reggie wondered, trying to breath even though it felt like there was something choking him.

“Look what you’re doing to Reggie!” Thats when he runs out, tears running down his cheeks as he sprinted to the studio. The practice wasn’t supposed to start in in hour so he was surprised to see Luke already there, guitar in hand and writing in his notebook. 

“Reg?” 

He couldn’t breath. 

Luke was there, hands on his shoulders when Reggie sits down fast, pulling his knees up against his chest. 

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m here”, Luke keeps talking even though Reggie only hears half of the words. The touch is comforting and firm, pulling him to a hug. 

“C’mon, breath with me”, Reggie tries to follow the slow rise and fall of Luke’s chest and after a minute he’s breathing again, Luke still rubbing his back and talking with soothing words. It was a new side to the Luke Reggie thought he knew. They were good friends but Reggie hadn’t imagined anyone seeing him like this and helping instead of laughing at him or telling him to man up. Luke was still hugging him and Reggie pulls away ashamed of his breakdown.

“Sorry”, he sniffles and wipes his eyes. Luke frowns, laying hands over Reggies knees. 

“You don’t have to apologize. I'm here for you. We all are.”

That’s when Reggie knew he would follow Luke anywhere. 

**January 1993**

Reggie was sitting outside of his house, messing around his instrument and singing the song they had been practicing all week when Alex sits beside him. 

“Hey”, Reggie greets his friend, surprised by the visit. Usually they all did something together or met at the studio, he didn’t remember last time any of them came to his house. 

Alex was quiet and didn’t meet his eyes and that Reggie got worried. 

“You okay man?” he stopped playing and set the bass on the ground. 

“I need to tell you something. I-“ Alex stared at the ground, pushing the sand in a pile and back down. Reggie laid a hand on his shoulder and waited, trying to figure out what this was about. Was Alex quitting the band? He couldn't, that would ruin them all. Was Alex _dying?_

“I’m gay”, the words were so fast and silent it took Reggie a moment to understand what he was saying. Gay. That had never crossed his mind, the word was mostly used as an insult. _Don't do that Reggie, people will thing you're gay_ but this was Alex. How could it be wrong for him to love, even if it was another guy? 

Shit, that explained a lot. He’d noticed Alex would stare at Luke sometimes and act different around him, in hindsight it was clear he was crushing on Luke. 

“I just needed to tell someone, I-I’m sorry if it ruins everything.” Alex was saying and Reggie realized he needed to speak.

“No, no it’s okay Alex. Thanks for telling me,” he turned to hug his friend, “This doesn’t change anything, you’re still my friend.” Alex was shaking with quiet sobs, hugging him back tightly. Reggie was telling the truth, he still loved Alex just like before. He hadn’t seen this coming but Alex was Alex, gay or not. He didn't entirely understand what this meant but maybe it wasn't such a big deal everyone made it be. 

“Thanks, Reggie.” Alex wipes his tears when he pulls away. 

“Umm, how did you know?” Alex shrugs. 

“I just do, same way you know you’re into girls I guess. I’m not ashamed of it, I’m just afraid it’s gonna make things weird.” 

“I don’t think it will. At least with the band, we all love you too much for it to be an issue. Who else knows?” 

“You’re the first.” Alex is quiet again and Reggie looks up in surprise. It’s not that he and Alex aren’t close, the boy is like a brother to him but it was always Luke and Alex. He didn’t hold it against them, they had been best friends for years and Reggie was fine being pared with Bobby. The guy was fun and they were a group, it didn’t matter who was better friend with who when they all cared about each other this much. 

He still felt a little proud to be the first to know. 

“Because you like Luke?” He asked before thinking. Alex looked mortified and Reggie rushed to continue, “I won’t tell him or anything if it’s that. It’s just you are close and..” I see the way you look at each other. They sat close and touched each other like there was a magnet pulling them together. 

“Yeah, that’s one reason, I don’t want to make it weird. But I think I would have told you first anyway. You’re the least likely to care about being gay.” Reggie smiled and threw his hand over Alex’s shoulder. 

“Thanks.” 

A week later Alex asks Luke to stay after practice and Reggie gives him a thumbs up before distracting Bobby and letting the boys talk in private. 

**March 1993**

Luke and Alex are dating. Reggie is sure of it, even though they hadn’t told him anything. He’s happy for them, the band it doing well and they have actual gigs now, not just playing in a bookstore. Sunset Curve was going to places. 

So no, it didn’t hurt to watch them looking at each other across the room. He didn’t feel jealous when he caught them holding hands. 

After all, it’s not like Reggie had a crush on Luke. 

He did have enough points from being in a band to get attention from girls so that’s what he did. Bobby was already known as a flirt, Reggie just started to follow him after they played to say hi to girls in the audience and he even went to a few dates. The guys likes to poke fun at his varied success and bad pickup lines but it felt good to be liked. 

It was easy to pretend he didn’t notice and he would sometimes ask Bobby to join him so the couple could have time alone. It was a lot harder to ignore when he walked to a practice to see Luke and Alex shirtless on the sofa, making out. 

“Shit, sorry!” he yelped when Alex pushed Luke off in a panic, making him fall on the ground with an undignified scream. The drummer was quick to help him up, apologizing. Reggie stood where he had stopped, trying hard not to laugh but failing. 

“Oh man, your face”, he pointed at Luke who was still holding Alex’s hand, staring at him. 

“Reg, it’s…” he didn’t finish and Reggie just waved his hand, still trying to catch his breath. Alex was red as a tomato and Luke didn't seem able to speak in full sentences which just made Reggie laugh more. 

“I’ve known for a while, it’s okay. I’m happy for you.” 

He really was. Luke and Alex were blushing, still half naked and holding hands but they were his best friends and he was glad they found each other. Suddenly they were hugging him, laughing along. 

**May 1993**

“Well maybe it’s not my fault you can’t get the beat”, Luke snapped at Alex, who got up and pointed at him with the drumsticks. 

“Yeah, or maybe I could play it if it was actually a good song” Reggie shared a look with confused Bobby. Bobby knew that Alex was gay and he was pretty cool about it but they still hadn’t told him they were dating. It was starting to seem like he never would know. 

It started a few weeks ago, seemingly out of nowhere. Alex and Luke couldn’t agree on where they would get food from after practice. Then they disagreed on music, where to play, how to play until they fought almost daily. Reggie was on the edge constantly, the arguments at home kept going on and now the band that had became his safe space was falling apart too. Bobby was just lost and annoyed that they were making things difficult when he just wanted to play. Reggie tried not to think about how many bands had broken up because of relationship drama, he couldn't imagine life without Luke and Alex by his side. 

“It would be good if you could just focus and try instead of bitching”, Luke stopped trying to play and they stood face to face, muscles coiled in anger. 

“Yeah, I’m out. Let me know when we can actually train again.” Bobby says, picking up his guitar. Only Reggie hears him and nods, Luke and Alex are too engaged in the argument to care when the door slams shut. 

Reggie wants to leave. For a second he wonders if his old friends still drank at the beach, would they let him join if the band fell apart. The raised voices made him anxious, he was just waiting for them to start throwing things or hitting each other and he saw enough of that already. It wasn’t supposed to be like this in here too. 

It wasn’t his parent’s failing marriage. Luke and Alex couldn’t leave, they were all he had. 

“Guys”, he tries but neither shows any sign of caring about him. Reggie tried not to cry but he felt the familiar burn of tears behind his eyes. 

“Please”, he steps between the boys and Luke grabs his arm hard, about to push him away before stopping to look. The anger is out in a second, regret and worry replacing it when he pulls away. Alex stops talking in the middle of sentence.

“Reggie, sorry. We shouldn’t argue around you like this”, Luke says, pulling Reggie’s hand against his own chest like he always does when Reggie is upset or panicking. The familiar motion makes him realize his hyperventilating again. Alex is apologizing too but Reggie shakes his head. He wants to tell them he can’t lose them, the band is the most important thing in his life now and if they break up he’s left alone again. The words don’t come out though, just sobs and he backs away, more falling than sitting on the couch. 

“Hey, it’s okay, we’re gonna be fine. It’s not like your parents”, Luke is touching his knee, Alex sits next to him and strokes his back gently. 

“We’ll figure it out but you don’t have to worry. We both love you, man, it's not going to change”, they both keep talking until Reggie can breath again. He’s tired, but when Luke wipes his tears away Reggie nods, believing them. All three of them stay there for the night, sleeping on the couch that was definitely not big enough for them but no one complained. 

**February 1994**

First Luke ran away. 

It was a rainy evening when Reggie got a call from Alex, telling him to come to the studio as fast as possible. When he rushed inside he was soaking wet from the bike ride but none of that mattered when he saw Luke sitting on the sofa, eyes red from crying.

“I told them we’re good. Fuck, we’re 16 and already playing this well, it’s not just a stupid dream.” Luke told them everything, about the fight with his mom and running here. How he’s not going back home. Reggie understood, Luke loved music more than anyone he'd met before. He loved this band and playing but even if jamming on the stage with his bass made him feel alive Luke was born to be a musician and everyone could see that. It sucked that his parents didn't believe in that dream, this wasn't the first fight he'd had with Emily. 

“I’d offer my place but it’s not that great”, Reggie sits on the other side of Luke, throwing an arm over his shoulder. 

“You can stay at mine for a while. Bobby probably wouldn’t mind you sleeping here.” Alex says. Luke nods and Reggie was glad to see the familiar fire back in his eyes. 

“I’ll figure it out. Get a roommate or something and live on my own.”

He didn’t have to wait long. A month later Reggie walks to practice to find rest of the boys talking seriously around Alex. 

“I told my parents I’m gay.” It was so unfair. Alex had been relatively close with his family and still they treated him like shit after learning who he was, Reggie couldn’t understand how a parent could do that. Luke was furious, shifting between comforting Alex and cursing his family for losing their son over this. Alex looked so small sitting there with tear tracks on his face, Luke playing with his hair and talking in a soothing voice. Bobby looked a little uncomfortable standing there but Reggie couldn't blame him. Bobby was a great guy and a fantastic player but he wasn't as close with the trio, rarely hanging out after practice and definitely not as physical as they were with each other. 

Reggie sat on the other side of Alex. 

"You're awesome and if they can't see it that's their loss." 

Luke and Alex rented a tiny flat. The band scrubbed the dirt from the walls and floor, dragged a sofa they got for free and stayed there for the night, eating pizza and talking about how cool it was to live here. It barely fit the two boys, there was still some shady marks on the wall that they couldn't get out and Reggie was pretty sure the whole building will collapse withing a year but to them it was perfect.

**October 1994**

The first thing he felt was ringing in his ears, just before the burning pain kicked in. Reggie reflectively touched his cheek where the punch had landed, blinking from the floor where he'd fallen. He could taste blood and his whole face felt hot, eyes tearing up without control. For a moment he thinks his dad is going to apologize, when they all stay still, shocked by the punch. Then the man standing above him frowns.

"Don't be so dramatic. Get up", Reggie flinches away when his dad reaches to pull him up, scrambling up and backing away. His mom isn't helping, she looks upset but stays silent, observing the scene. 

He shouldn't be surprised but somehow it was still a shock. Reggie had been following the argument about his future and the band, silent while his parents shouted at each other and ignored him as if he wasn't the reason they were fighting. 

"Can't you just get a divorce?" He'd blurted out in frustration. Before he could react his dad turned to him, fist swinging. 

He'd never hit Reggie before. Sometimes his parents were rough, grabbing his arm hard enough to bruise or push him if he tried to get between them during an argument but never like this. He stood still for a second, blinking away the tears that he couldn't stop and blood rushing in his ears before bolting out of the door, ignoring the shouting behind him as he ran all the way to the familiar apartment.

"Reggie?" Alex opened the door, welcoming him inside without question even though it was the middle of the night. Luke was sitting on the floor with his guitar, looking up when Reggie stepped in. 

"Mind if I stay here for a while?" his voice broke. 

"Stay as long as you want. What happened?" Alex investigated his face, Reggie didn't know what he looked like but based on the pulsing pain he'd get a proper bruise on his cheek. Luke tossed a frozen bag of peas and a cloth, which Alex pressed on his face after making him sit down. 

**March 1995**

Orpheum. Reggie was so excited he thought he would jump out of his skin, the energy during soundcheck as insane. The place would be full of people, after tonight everyone would know about Sunset Curve, they would get a record deal and get to tour, years of hard work was going to pay off. They would prove how good they were to their families, get an apartment that wasn't rotting and a career. Tonight would change everthing.


	2. Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reggie never thought about death much but this wouldn't have been his first guess. Being in an awesome band with only one living member, figuring out his sexuality and living in a garage with Luke and Alex wasn't what he had in mind but he can't complain. He has his family and that's all he needs.

Reggie had always been good at not thinking. Anxiety and overthinking were more Alex’s thing, proven by the faint marks on the floor of the studio where the drummer had paced for years in front of the couch where Reggie and Luke would sit trying to help. Luke was too fast to consider much before acting so there just wasn’t time to overthink anything. Reggie acted before thinking too and it was fine by Reggie too, though people would often act like he was stupid. He just didn't pick up on all cues before acting. It was much easier to live and let others worry. 

The first weeks of afterlife kept them all busy and he kept moving on with ease, pushing emotions that aren’t just _Loving his friends, Fear for their lives (or not-lives. Souls.)_ away. The trouble began when they were free from Covington and there wasn’t an immediate danger threatening to tear them apart. 

Alex and Willie spent a lot of time together, disappearing to God knows where. They invited him and Luke too and sometimes Reggie joined but he didn't want to impose on their dates too much. Luke still visited his family and he started to write songs with Julie, the duo getting sucked into the process and forget everything around them. Reggie hung there for a while but the chemistry oozing from them was too much and he usually poofed out pretty fast. 

That left him alone, trying to entertain himself. He was starting to realize that he didn’t have a life outside the band anymore. Not that he focused much on anything else even when he was alive, Reggie gave himself to the passion and family he’d chosen entirely but now he couldn’t even be seen by people outside the band. Hanging out alone got boring pretty fast. 

And the greatest part was that he’d accidentally appeared in front of his old home again. He walked down to the beach, sitting in the spot he used to come years ago when his parents argued and he had nowhere else to go. Memories of Annie and the gang made him smile even though it had been a hard time. He wondered where they were now. 

Annie was never his girlfriend but they were something. He didn’t date much, the girls he (and especially Bobby) picked up never lasted for long. If someone asked him Reggie would have said the only person he’d really had a crush on after Annie was Luke. Sure, there were some he'd found attractive but nothing deep or lasting. It was hard to admit even to himself, the shame rooted deep inside made him feel sick. It was different from Alex, Reggie never thought differently of him after Alex came out. Logically he knew it was okay to love whoever but when it came to himself he wanted to bury those feelings deep down and never think about it again. Besides, he still liked girls so clearly he wasn’t gay, no need to think about that anymore. 

With one last glance at the bike shack that had replaced his house Reggie shook his head and focused on going back to the studio. He could mess around the instruments while Luke and Julie wrote but he didn’t want to be alone in here anymore. 

“Hey guys, Flynn is coming to watch our practice soon”, Julie announces when she walks in. Reggie perks up, he already likes Flynn even if she couldn’t see them when they aren’t playing. She’s not like Ray who he hangs out with more but it’s always nice to have an audience and any friend of Julie’s is a friend of his. She was fun, had a cool style and got them gigs sometimes. What else could you ask from a friend?

“Cool, we could use an opinion with the new stuff. The second verse still needs some work”, Luke says. Reggie was picking at chords on his bass, eager to play and Alex was already sitting behind his drums when the doors opened and Flynn steps inside. 

“Hi Flynn”, Reggie says even though she can’t hear him yet. The conversations with lifers were a little one sided but that didn’t stop him from talking.

Flynn froze, staring right at him. 

“Uhh, Julie? Why can I see your hot ghost band?” There is a second of complete silence when the band processes her question and then everyone is speaking at the same time.

“What?”

“You can see them?” 

“How, we aren’t playing yet?” 

“Aaw, she think we’re hot!” Alex rolls his eyes at Reggie for the last comment before standing up. Flynn follows his movements when the drummer walks next to Luke and Julie. Alex waves a hand in front of Flynn who frowns, obviously seeing and hearing all of them.

“Wait, how is this possible?” Luke asks. Julie shakes her head slowly, none of them had any explanation for the change. 

“I don’t know. Must be something to do with the hug-thing and getting rif of the stamps.” Flynn was still in shock, looking at them all in wonder. Reggie jumps up and poofs in front of Flynn who yelps and jumps in surprise. Whoops.

“Jesus, no wonder Julie looks so weird when you do that”, she complains, hand on her chest.

“Hey, I don’t look weird!” Julie exclaims behind Reggie. 

“Sorry”, he smiles sheepishly and raises his hand. He didn’t know what it meant, could everyone see them now? Slowly Flynn reaches out to touch his hand and Reggie holds his breath. They hadn’t been able to always touch Julie after their magical hug that removed the stamps but during practice Julie once ran into Luke, making them both fall. They figured it was either emotional moments or music that made it possible but more than once Julie had complained how they needed an afterlife manual to figure all this out. For now they just accepted it as it was.

Her hand moves through his, Reggie sighs and Flynn looks disappointed too. 

“Still ghosts”, Alex says. 

“This is still huge. She can see us!” Luke is practically buzzing with excitement. Julie frowns, looking worried.

“Dad still doesn’t see you, right?” 

“Nope. I’ve been hanging out with Ray this week and it’s all been normal”, Reggie says. Flynn shakes her head, walking past Reggie to get closer to the group. 

“This is so weird. Do you think it’s because I know you are here? Or I’m connected to Julie so it’s because of that, like she can see you”, she slowly pokes at Luke’s chest, finger moving through him like air. He leans back, shuddering. 

“Weird.”

"Definitely weird."

“We need to test this”, Julie looks at them all, “I think it’s safe to say dad doesn’t know but we should see if Flynn can still see you when I’m gone.” 

“Good, we definitely need to how this works. Otherwise your family is going to freak out when they suddenly see us walking around the house”, Alex says. Julie rolls her eyes. 

“Maybe you could listen to me when I say you shouldn’t be in the house”, she says but the fond tone let them all know she didn't really mind the boys popping inside to hang with her family. 

“Let’s start simple. Julie, if you go to your room for a minute and we’ll see if they disappear.” Julie nods and gives them a small wave before backing out and leaving the four alone in the garage. As awkward silence follows. 

“So…” Reggie starts but Flynn curses before he can finish. 

“Wow okay”, Alex seems surprised by the words coming form Flynn’s mouth. Which was a bit rich coming from him, Reggie had heard the language he uses when he’s annoyed. 

“Guess she can’t see us anymore”, Luke walks in front of Flynn who doesn’t react.

“Sorry guys, I can’t see you anymore. I’ll text Julie that she can come back”, Flynn confirms Luke’s words. Reggie can’t help but feel a little disappointed. It was still an interesting change but he’d hoped that at least the people that knew they were ghosts could now see them too. It would help with the band too, it would be nice to stay visible after the music ended.

“So anyway, we’re all kinda lost with this thing. Alex is stressing cause even in death everything keeps changing and he doesn’t like that.” Reggie is sitting on the counter where Ray is making Carlos lunch for school. He tries to help, pushing things closer and closing lids on the jars when the man isn't looking. After the little haunting Reggie did to prove Carlos he was right Julie gave him a stern talk about not being too visible. She seemed to find Reggie’s fondness of Ray amusing and didn’t tell him to stop that so he'd started to spent a lot of time talking to Ray when he moved around the house doing work. 

Sometimes Ray stopped to look at something Reggie had moved but he didn’t say anything. He would hum along to the Julie and the Phantoms song Reggie sang but other than that he didn’t show any signs of knowing he had company.

Julie walked in, smiling at Reggie and saying hi to her dad as she went to her room. Reggie continued to follow Ray as he finished the sandwiches and put them in the fridge for the the next morning. 

“You’re such a cool dad.”

Ray didn’t answer but he kept talking. 

“I just wish my parents had been more like you. I still haven’t visited them, I tried but the whole neighborhood was torn down so I don’t know where to look.” He followed Ray to the computer when he started to work. 

“Google probably would help. It’s freaky how much you can find from there, do you ever think about it? Julie would help but I’m not sure I want to see them. They can’t be together anymore, I think they only stayed because of me, which is kinda funny because it just made us all miserable. I hated the fighting but it’s like they thought it was better to be together and hate each other than to move on.” 

Ray kept typing but Reggie couldn’t read. He didn’t mean to cry but his voice broke. 

“They were my parents and I’m supposed to love them but I had to move in with Alex and Luke before we died”, thinking back at the last time he saw his parents it was harder to stay consistent with his story. Not that it mattered when his audience didn’t even know he was here.

“He only hit me once but Luke and Alex didn’t want me to go back. Not that I wanted either, I hated living there. Probably good that I can’t see what happened to them after I… died.” Ray turns to look up and Reggie blinks, confused. He couldn’t see them but now Ray was looking right…

“Julie?” Through him. Reggie turned around to see Julie looking right at him. Shit. He didn't know how long she'd been there but her expression told him she heard enough. 

“Oh, I just thought I left something here. But I didn’t so it’s fine, I’ll go back to my room to… study”, Julie looks right at him when she says it, making the message clear. Reggie nods and poofs upstairs, sitting on the bed to wait for Julie. It only took her a minute to get back to her room where she softly closed the door behind her before sitting next to Reggie on the bed. 

“I get why you like being with dad now”, she said with a sad smile. Reggie shrugged. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk yet but I’m here whenever you need. And if you want to know what happened to your family I’ll help.” 

“Thanks, Julie”, he didn’t want to cry but it was hard to stop now. 

“I guess you heard most of it. They weren’t all bad but it just felt like I was a burden on them and they started to resent me for stopping them”, he wiped the tears away. 

“It wasn’t your fault. They should have realized how amazing you are, not hurt you like that, it’s their choice to stay together.” 

Julie held her breath when she reached to touch Reggie’s shoulder. Being solid wasn’t a common thing but she was relieved to find her hand didn’t move through the ghost and rushed to hug him tightly. Reggie buried his face in the crook of her neck and held on tight. The boys were physical with each other and always had been but now that they couldn’t touch anyone else it had only amplified. It was so good to hug someone else, Julie was stroking his hair and holding on tight. 

After a moment Reggie pulled away, Trying to hold Julie’s hand but now it just moved through. Julie made a frustrated noise and Reggie felt his mood going down again. It had   
been good while it lasted. 

“Thanks”, he said gently. Julie smiled at him. 

“Anytime.”

There were some advantages of being dead, like now he couldn't break bones. Willie was teaching him a trick on his skateboard and Reggie fell on his ass for the fifth time, making Alex laugh. 

“I’ll get it next time!” 

Willie was laughing too when he helped Reggie up and pulled the skateboard closer. 

“That was close, you just need more force and then stay balanced”, he explained, demonstrating the kick. Reggie noticed the way Alex looked at Willie, so soft and adoring that it made Reggie want to puke. It was adorable. He ignored that and tired again, finally landing right which made Alex and Willie cheer and clap. He did a dramatic bow, pretending to thank a larger audience. 

Willie was a great guy, and most importantly Reggie saw how good he was for Alex. Even if the drummer spent a little less time with the band he seemed happy with Willie so he didn’t mind. Alex deserved to be happy and after breaking up with Luke he hadn’t been this in love with anyone. Maybe Reggie should start to wander around hoping to find a cute ghost girl. 

He gave Willie his board back and sat down next to Alex. 

“Nice job”, Alex nudged him with his knee. 

When he appeared in Julie’s room to look for company only Flynn was there. She didn’t react to his sudden entrance so Julie must have been too far away to give the connection. Flynn was looking at the photos on Julies wall with a strange expression, both wistful and sad. It felt too intimate to spy on so he picked up a pen and waved at her, making the girl jump.

“Oh, hi! Which one are you?” She asked, sitting down on the bed looking a little left to Reggie. He quickly looked for a notebook, writing on the page to show her. 

“Hi Reggie, Julie is downstairs to talk with her dad. She’ll be here pretty soon.” 

“Alright, it was actually you I wanted to talk to”, Reggie says even though Flynn can’t hear him. Julie mentioned her being a member of the LGBT club in their school, making the whole band interested. They all, especially Alex, were glad to hear how much better things were for gay kids these days but Julie had mentioned a word Reggie didn’t quite understand. He wrote rapidly and shoved the paper in front of Flynn. She read it carefully, tilting her head a little. 

“Yeah Julie is right, I’m bisexual. Is there something you want to talk about?” She asked slowly. Reggie wasn’t sure where to begin. Flynn seemed to sense his hesitation and continued, “do you know what that means”

_No_ , he wrote quickly. 

“Okay, I keep forgetting you’re from the 90’s. So basically I’m attracted to both guys and girls. For me it’s pretty much 50/50 but you could be bi even if you mostly liked one gender and sometimes were into something else, it’s a pretty flexible label.” 

Bisexual. 

Like how both Annie and Luke had pretty smiles and captivating eyes that made him forget everything else. It made sense, even though he’d denied it what he felt for Luke was definitely more than friendship. He loved Alex too but it was different from how he felt when they were on the stage, him and Luke singing in the same mike. Their chemistry moment where Luke sang the lyrics of Great to him had been the final push, after that it was impossible to deny the feelings he’d had for years.

“Reggie? You with me still. Man, I wish I could see you”, Flynn groaned. Reggie waved the pen in response, unsure what to write. 

_Thanks, that helped a lot_

Flynn smiled at the note. 

“Happy to help”, she hesitated a little before continuing, “It’s fine, you know? Being bi or queer or anything, it’s totally okay and people here respect that.” Reggie waved what he hoped was a nod with his pen. 

“Bisexual”, he whispered. Flynn took off a bracelet from her arm and put it on the bed between them. Purple and pink colors were weaved with black strips. 

“I don't want to assume anything but if you want you can take it. Like how rainbow flag is both for gay people and an umbrella flag for the whole queer community in general, these are the colors of the bi flag. You don’t have to take it or anything but it could be nice if you want”, she said. Reggie took the bracelet, investigating the colors. He just moved the paper where his previous thank you note was written and put the bracelet on. 

“I love it, thank you”, he whispered as he stared at the thin strand around his wrist. It fit perfectly, having been loose on Flynn’s smaller wrist. Whenever he’d thought about his sexuality there was pressure in his chest and he avoided the topic as much as he could. Now that he had a word for it and Flynn’s support it didn’t make him panic as much. If Flynn was bi it had to be okay, maybe it would be okay if he was too.

“I really wish I could hug you now”, he sighed, writing the sentence to the paper so Flynn could read it. 

“I know! But I’m always happy to talk, even if I can't see you”, she said. 

_Can we not tell anyone else yet?_

“Of course, I won’t say anything before you’re ready. There’s no rush”, Flynn says just as they hear steps coming up. Flynn smiled suddenly, focusing on Reggie instead of looking in his general direction

"Thanks, this was really nice."

“Reggie, I’m proud of you. Thanks for coming to me”, Flynn says quietly before shoving the note in her pocket when the door opens when Julie walks in. 

“Oh hey. Reggie is here too?” Julie smiles at him, “I assume you let her know and didn’t spy on my friend.”

“Oh course I did! I’m very polite, you know”, Reggie grins at her. Flynn confirmed, telling Julie that they'd just been talking while Flynn waited for her to come back.

“But I’m out now, need to handle some… ghost business.” Julie gave him a strange look and Reggie waved and poofed out before she asked anything. Smooth move, won’t raise any suspicion later, he sighed but if he was lucky Julie would forget the interraction. 

It takes Reggie a week to process the idea. He figured Luke felt the same way, after all he definitely was into girls but had dated Alex. He wondered if Luke knew the label or if he cared. Knowing Luke he probably didn’t think about it this much, he wasn’t one to limit himself or think too much. Reggie wasn’t sure why he was making it such a big deal, it’s not like anyone in the band would mind him being bi. His family would but they couldn’t know anything about him so it didn’t matter what they would say. He could still imagine it in great detail.

A pen flied through the air, hitting him in the arm. 

“Hey!”, Reggie exclaims. Luke held an eraser, ready to throw again. Alex laughed when Reggie picked up the pen and put it in his pocket. 

“You just lost your writing privilege”, he announces dramatically. Luke raises a brow and reaches to take Julie’s pencil. 

“I can’t be stopped Reggie, live with it”, Luke moves to throw the pencil but Julie steals it back, holding it away from Luke. 

“We can’t live with anything, fun side effect of being dead”, Alex points out. 

“Why am I being attacked anyway!” 

“Fear not, Reggie, I will protect you”, Julie grins and shoves her pencil case away from offended Luke. The couple sitting on the piano bench together start to play with the pencil, losing focus on Reggie. Alex used that distraction to come sit next to him. 

“You have been zoning out lately. Everything okay?” The drummer asks with a low voice. Reggie sees Luke glancing at their way. He wasn’t surprised that the guys notice his strange mood, they knew him better than anyone else. 

“I’m fine.” 

“Don’t lie to me. You don’t have to tell us but I know you Reg, something is bothering you.” Alex was serious now. Reggie played with the band around his wrist, unsure what to do. Alex won’t force him to say anything but he wanted to get this out, after talking with Flynn he felt a lot easier. He took the pen and threw it back to Luke, getting their full attention again. 

“I’m bisexual”, Reggie can’t look at any of them when he speaks quickly before he can think about it. Alex swings his arm over Reggie’s shoulder and pulls him half into a hug. Julie and Luke are there too and Reggie is relieved to notice Julie can touch them now, joining the group hug. 

“Thanks for telling us”, she says and all Reggie can do is nod. He thought it would be uncomfortable to say out loud but it was like a weight off his shoulders. He didn’t have to explain any more than that and none of them questioned him. Just like when Alex told them it wasn’t going to change anything and after the hug and reassurence that they all loved him just the same they soon started to practice the new song Julie and Luke had worked on. 

The practice was amazing, Reggie hadn’t realized how much keeping something from the band had pulled him down. Now there was so much energy and he felt like they were all one with the music, made to play together. Sunset Curve had been incredible but Reggie couldn’t deny that Julie brought something new to their music and the songs they played together worked. They were all high from adrenaline at the end, laughing and cheering, the familiar mix of being tired from all the jumping around and playing but still full of energy making Reggie restless. Julie was the first to go, already running late for dinner so she didn’t stick around for long. 

The boys played around for a while, inventing fast melodies and switching instruments to create a chaotic sound. They tried to keep it quiet enough that Julie wouldn’t yell at them for making her dad suspicious. They had talked about telling Ray the truth (Reggie strongly in favor of that) but she wasn’t ready for that conversation yet. It was one thing to be in a hologram band and entirely different to have three teenage ghosts living in you garage. 

“I’ll be with Willie for a while”, Alex said, patting Reggie on shoulder with a knowing smile before poofing out. It was just him and Luke in the garage, making Reggie nervous. 

“So, bi huh?” Reggie jumped when Luke spoke. 

“Yeah, I guess. I mean yes, I am. It’s kind of new, I wasn’t trying to hide it from you or anything”, Stop talking, Reggie. Luke laughed at his rambling. 

“It’s cool, Reg.” He patted Reggie on the back and it seemed like he was done with the subject. 

“It was you”, Reggie blurted out, making Luke turn around to look at him. 

“I’ve always liked you. I know you like Julie-”

“I never agreed to that” Luke interrupts but his blushing and the way he looks down just proves Reggie’s point. He’s not one to assume things but they had talked with Alex and anyone with eyes could see the chemistry there. 

“Anyway”, he grins, “I just wanted to tell you, doesn’t have to change anything. I think I just need to say it.” Luke pulled him into a hug that would probably crush his ribs. If he had any. 

“I’ll always love you, just like I love Alex.” Reggie could read the rejection between the lines. It hadn’t worked between Alex and Luke when they dated, just like it wouldn’t work with him and Luke. He thought it would have hurt more but it didn’t, it wasn't going to be weird with Luke and maybe now he could move on. Reggie smiled, resting his chin on Luke’s shoulder. 

“Are we going to have an issue with your ego now that every member in this band has had a crush on you?” He asked. 

“Oh, absolutely!” 

After dealing with the stress of coming out Reggie was on a roll. There was one more thing he needed to do even if he was dreading it. He didn’t know where to begin so he went to the only person that could help him. 

Julie screamed when he appeared in her room, forgetting to knock. She threw a book that flew through him.

“What have I said about coming to my room?” She scolded him. 

“Sorry! I’ll knock next time, promise”, Julie made a face. They both knew he would probably forget the next time he was excited. 

“Anyway, can you help me google some stuff?” Julie patted the bed and Reggie sat next to her, watching as she opened the laptop. Modern technology was interesting, Reggie liked watching Carlos play on his console and he still found smartphones incredibly cool. 

“What do you need?” Julie asked as she was ready. Reggie took a deep breath. 

“I don’t know if the last names are right anymore. But Elizabeth Collins.” Julie looked at him, understanding what he was after. 

“Your mom?” she asked. Reggie nodded, playing with the bracelet again. Julie typed the name and started to look for information. 

It took a long time to find her. They sat there, Reggie helping with what he could. He never remembered his mothers birthday but eventually they found someone born in the same year, information matching. Elizabeth Ward, now married to a different man but still living in LA. Julie took down all the information she could find but all Reggie really needed was the address. 

“Jacob Collins?” he asked. 

It took less time, he still had same name and there was more recent information. Died in 2018, will be missed by a loving family. Reggie stared at the text, taking it in. He didn’t know how to feel, he was never close with his father but to him it had only been a year ago when he lived with the man. 

“I’m really sorry”, Julie said, closing the laptop. Reggie shrugged, picking up the address. He knew the place, it wasn’t far from the house they used to live in. 

“Thanks for helping”, he said. Julie looked worried so he smiled and shook his head. 

“It’s okay.” He left before Julie could answer. 

The house was bigger, two cars parked in the front. Reggie tried to swallow the lump in his throat and walked in through the door, instantly hearing multiple voices. The tv was on somewhere but there were people eating dinner in the kitchen. He instantly recognized his mother, now greying hair and more wrinkles but still so familiar. She was smiling, fork moving as she talked to the others around the table. Reggie stepped closer, unable to take his eyes off the scene. She looked so happy now, better than she ever looked when he lived. 

There is a woman, little older than him with a baby next to her. Reggie walks closer, frowning as he studies the woman. Dark hair, same dark green eyes and slender face. She looks just like his mom. Just like him. She was probably in her 20’s, born a little after his death. 

That hurt. He didn’t want to be bitter, his mom deserved to be happy but as he watched the scene with his mom, a man who he assumed was her new husband and the young woman taking care of a baby, sitting there together the family dinners he used to have kept running in his head. 

The man smiled when the younger woman told some story, his mom commenting and laughing along. 

_His father rolling his eyes when Reggie tried to tell how he was in a band now_

His mom collected the empty plates while the man helped take the leftovers to the kitchen, kissing Elizabeth on the way. 

_Reggie taking his plate to finish in his room when the voices are raised_

Reggie couldn’t look at them anymore, instead turning to look around the house and trying to breath. There aren’t a lot of photos, some of the girl from the table, a wedding photo of his mom and the man. She still looked young in that, it couldn’t have been many years after his death. 

“Guess you finally got the divorce”, he muttered. Moving on to the living room he stopped. There was a photo of him on the table, next to one of him and the band. He didn’t realize he’d started crying until the tears fell down his cheeks. He spotted the Sunset Curve cd on the bookshelf. 

Luke and Alex appeared next to him. It took them surprisingly long, he’d figured Julie would send the boys after him. They didn’t say anything, just stood by his side as he stared at the photo. 

“I think I have a sister now”, Reggie says. 

“She’s happy now. It really took me dying to make her happy”, his voice breaks. 

“She always had the choice to divorce, it wasn’t your fault they didn’t do it. They haven’t forgotten you”, Luke tries to help but there isn’t much to say. They hear the baby start to cry in another room and Luke made a face. He never liked children, especially crying ones. Not that any of them were any good with babies. Reggie was sure if he’d ever gotten to hold one he’d accidentally dropped it. 

“Wanna look around more?” Alex asked. Reggie shook his head. They moved on, he didn’t have reason to stay to haunt them anymore. He just hoped his dad had moved on and didn't stick around as a ghost, Reggie didn't want to run into him on the street. 

Reggie couldn’t sit still. Luke was the only one sitting down when Alex was on his runaway and Reggie kept moving around, picking things up just to put them down. Amd pick up again. 

“Can you two please stop before I lose my mind”, Luke asked. 

“No”, they replied at the same time, throwing a quick high five as they passed. Luke groaned and threw his head back. 

Julie was inside, talking to his dad. She had been very clear, no ghosts in the house when she told the truth about her band to him. They would wait here and when she needed to prove it she’d bring Ray here and they could play. It had been half an hour already and Reggie was going to die if something didn’t happen soon. 

“Guys?” the door opened and Luke jumped up, all of them standing side by side when Julie and her dad walked in. Ray scanned the room but couldn’t see them. 

“Are they here now?” he asked and Julie nodded. She pointed in their direction and Ray smiled. 

“Hello”, he says in their direction. He was talking to them!

“We’re going to play so you can see them too.” Julie said.

“Did he believe you? How did it go? What did he say?” Reggie moved around Julie, wanting to hear every detail. 

“Dad believes me but we should still play so he meet you properly”, Julie says. Everyone moves quickly to get their instruments while Julie sat her dad down. They’d agreed to play the new song they'd been working on. Julie sat down and started to play the piano, singing the first verse on her own like in most of their songs. Reggie took the time to watch Ray, he looked so proud and happy to hear his daughter singing. He had reason to be, Julie had an incredible voice. Then it was their time to join, first Alex and a beat later   
Reggie and Luke joined, all singing together. 

It must have been shocking, even if Ray had knows what to expect from the earlier performances. Knowing they were ghosts made visible by some musical magic and Julie was pretty unbelievable but he kept smiling, looking each of them. Julie walked to him, leading him closer to the band. Starting with Alex, who smiled and nodded at him. Luke was next and based on the look on Ray’s face he hadn’t missed the chemistry between Luke and his daughter. It wasn’t disapproval but it made Luke nervous none the less. Finally Julie led him to where Reggie was playing. 

“And this is Reggie”, she said between singing. Ray looked right at him and smiled, Reggie grinned back in awe. Soon the song ended and Reggie prepared to be invisible again, heart sinking. 

Ray kept looking right at them, slowly shaking his head. 

“I believed Julie but still, I don’t know what to say”

“You can still see us?” Alex asked. Ray nodded. 

“It must be like with Flynn! Now that he knows maybe you’re visible around me”, Julie says. Ray looks at Reggie again, the bassist speechless. 

“So you’re the one helping me in the kitchen, huh?” he said. 

“Yes, sir.” He’d been relaxed with the man when he was invisible but now that Ray was talking to him he wasn’t sure how to behave. He didn’t want to give a bad impression. He saw Luke and Alex glancing at each other, amused by his sudden shyness. Ray smiled, offering a hand to shake. 

“Well, thank you. You’re always welcome in our house”, he said. Please be solid, Reggie prayed as he tried to take the hand. It went right through. 

“And you can call me Ray”, the man said. That made up for the hand shake and Reggie smiled widely, nodding. Ray walked around, talking to each of them a little. 

“Some band you found”, he smiled at Julie. She giggled, nodding. 

“Couldn’t ask for a better one.” 

“Thank you all for helping Julie, it means the world to hear her singing again and I know you helped the process. I hope you’ll all join us for dinner today?” 

“Yes!" Reggie says too loud and too fast. He looked down, waiting for the man to tell him to calm down and behave but after startling he just laughs kindly. 

"You've been very helpful, it's good to finally see you all."

Reggie hadn't had any expectations for afterlife, he hadn't imagined dying young because of hotdog poisoning but he wouldn't have expected it to be like this. It wasn't heaven but he couldn't complain, as long as he had his chosen family and music he'd be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the support! I loved writing this story and hope you enjoyed reading it :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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